Santa Clara’s History and Why We’re Proud to Serve the Santa Clara Community
The fertile Santa Clara Valley was home to the Ohlone people long before Europeans arrived. In 1769 José Francisco Ortega explored the valley, and Franciscan missionaries founded Mission Santa Clara de Asís on January 12, 1777. The mission became an important center for baptisms and conversions and established orchards and fields along the banks of the Guadalupe River.
After Mexico secularized the missions, large ranchos dominated the valley. Rancheros raised cattle and exported hides and tallow to trading ships. American settlers arrived in the 1840s; the raising of the U.S. flag in 1846 signaled California’s transfer from Mexico to the United States and statehood in 1850.
In the 1850s the town of Santa Clara was surveyed and became a chartered city in 1862. Orchards and seed companies flourished once the transcontinental railroad made it possible to ship fruit east, and the city became known for its prunes and apricots.
The 1950s brought a dramatic transformation when semiconductor companies began producing silicon chips, turning the valley from agricultural heartland to the center of the high‑tech industry. Today Santa Clara stands at the heart of Silicon Valley, home to tech giants and Levi’s Stadium. Fast Plumbing & Drain is proud to support this innovative community’s homes and businesses.
Photo by Daivik Goel on Unsplash